Cataracts

What Increases Your Risk

Risk factors for cataracts include:

• Age. Getting older is a major risk factor for cataracts.
• Sex. Women are at slightly higher risk than men for cataracts. But it is unclear whether this applies to all types of cataracts or only to certain types.
• Family history (genetics). People with a family history of cataracts are more likely to have cataracts. People with certain genetic disorders also have an increased risk of cataracts. These disorders include myotonic dystrophy, the most common form of muscular dystrophy in adults, and galactosemia, a rare disorder that involves elevated levels of the sugar galactose in the blood.²

Some chronic diseases increase the risk for cataracts. Keeping these diseases under control may help lower your risk of developing cataracts:

• Diabetes. People with diabetes are at increased risk for cataracts. Damage to the lens of the eye results from persistent high blood sugar (glucose) levels.¹
• Glaucoma. Certain medicines that are used to treat glaucoma may increase the risk of developing a cataract. Surgery to treat glaucoma also increases the risk of cataracts.

Other factors that increase your risk include:

• Smoking. People who smoke are more likely to develop cataracts. Smoking may damage the lens of the eye by leading to the formation of chemicals called free radicals. High levels of free radicals can damage cells, including those in the lens of the eye.
• Infection during pregnancy. If a woman has certain infections during pregnancy, such as rubella or chickenpox, the baby may develop a cataract before birth.
• Ultraviolet (UV) light exposure. Ultraviolet B (UVB) is related to cataract development. Studies have shown that high lifetime exposure to ultraviolet light, as in those whose occupations result in regular exposure to sunlight, leads to an increased chance of developing cataracts.¹
• Alcohol use. Some studies show that heavy drinking may increase the risk of cataracts.¹
• Long-term use and higher doses of steroid medicines. Long-term use of high doses of steroid medicines for conditions such as asthma or emphysema increases a person's risk of developing cataracts.¹
• High triglycerides. One study suggested that elevated levels of triglycerides, a form of fat that can accumulate in the walls of your arteries, may increase the risk of cataracts in men.³

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Author:	Jeannette Curtis	Last Updated: October 1, 2007
Medical Review:	Anne C. Poinier, MD - Internal Medicine Christopher J. Rudnisky, MD, FRCSC - Ophthalmology
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